Garment-stay.



J. R. DEAN.

GARMENT STAY.

APPLICATION TILED N,0V.16, 1912 RENEWED DEC. 19, 1913.

1,1 04,108. Patented July 21, 1914.

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n STATES PATENT onrron.

JOHN R. DEAN, OF NORTH GIRARD, PENNSYLVANIA.

GARMENT-STAY.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented July 21; 1914,

Application filed November 16, 1912, Serial No. 731,739. Renewed December 19, 1918. Serial No. 807,777.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN R. DEAN, a citizen'of the United States, residing at North Girard, in the count-y of Erie and State of Pennsylvania, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Garment-Stays, of which the following is a. specification.

This invention relates to garment stays and consists in certain improvements in the construction thereof as will be hereinafter fully described and pointed out in the claims.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as follows :-I*igure 1 is an elevation of a stay. As shown it carries the studs for a clasp. Fig. 2 a simliar view of a stay having the eyes for the clasp. Fig. 3 a section on the line 3-3 in Fig. 2.

The body of the stay is formed of a flat strip of material 1. This is ordinarily flat steel. A series of perforations 2 extend throughout the stay. These perforations are of uniform length and size except adj acent to the clasps they are varied to graduate the yielding of the stay to prevent breaking immediately adjacent to the clasp. The body of the stay at opposite ends of alternate perforations is severed as at 3, these severed portions being in contact relation. By thus severing the stay on opposite sides so that the metal of the stay extends in a zigzag direction the crossings 4 formed between the perforations are subjected to a torsional strain as the stay is flexed in a flatwise direction. By reason of these slots the stay is rendered very much more flexible than without them. By leaving the portions 3 in contact relation the stays are strengthened against side flexure and this is desirable. At the same time, this working contact slightly stiffens the stay without reducing its elastic limit. This arises from the fact that with a flatwise flexure and these surfaces of the severed portions 3 being in contact relation the crossings A are sprung slightly with such a. flexure as well as being subjected to the torsional strain. In this way, therefore, it is possible to get a slightly stiffer stay without reducing the other desirable feature, that is, its elastic limit.

A stud 5 and an eyelet 5 adapt the stay for a clasp. Where these are used for a clasp it is more advantageous to prevent side flexure than with the ordinary stay. The

fastening device as the stud 5 or particularly the eyelet 5 stifl'ens the stay for a ating them so that there will be no sharp demarcation between the comparatively rigid part of the stay at the point where the securing device is attached and the body of the stay. With this in view, I have provided the perforations 6, 7 and 8, the perforation 6 being somewhat shorter than the perforation 7, and the perforation 7 somewhat shorter than the perforation 8 and the crossings 9 between these are graduated, the wider one being next to the fastening de vice and these reaching the normal width between the normal perforation 2. In this way there is no abrupt demarcation from the comparatively rigid portion of the stay adjacent to the clasp and the stay having the full flexibility of the body consequently the tendency to break at this point is very much reduced.

It will be noted that the perforations 3 in the body of the stay are of the same length and have their ends in alinement. This simplifies the manufacture of the stay very much. The perforations as distinguished from the mere severance as 3 with the surfaces in contact is desirable in the intermediate portion of the stay in that there is more freedom of movement of the crossings especially adjacent to their connecting ends. They also serve to permit the passage of air and convenient means for securing the stays in place. It will be understood that where the stays are used for ordinary use that the structure may be similar throughout to the body of the stay herein shown.

What I claim as new is 1. A garment stay formed of a flat strip of elastic material having slits extending inwardly alternately from opposite edges, the opposing faces of the slits at the edges of the stay forming plane surfaces in parallel and contact relation.

2. A garment stay formed of a flat'strip of elastic material having slits extending inwardly alternately from opposite edges, the opposing faces of the slits at the edges of the stay forming plane surfaces in parallel and contact relation and the inner ends of the slits being out of contact relation.

3. A garment stay formed of a flat strip of elastic material having slits arranged transversely of the material and so associ' ated as to form transverse bars between the slits which bars are subjected to torsional strain as the stay is flexed some of said slits extending to the edge of the stay and having opposing faces, the said slits so extending to the edge of the stay forming plane surfaces in parallel and contact relation the inner ends of the slits being out of contact relation.

4. A garment stay formed of a. flat strip of elastic material having a securing device thereon and slits extending inwardly alternately from opposite edges, the crossings formed by the slits adjacent to the se- 5 JOHN R. DEAN.

Witnesses:

B. M. HARTMAN, THOMAS C. MILLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latents,

Washington, D. G. 

